Body for motor vehicles



April 2, 1929- `A. F. MASLJRY n 1;707,311

. BODY FOR MOTOR VEHICLE.

Filed May 19, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 Egzl.

April 2, 1929. ,Y A. F. MASURY BvODY F-OR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed May 19,1924 ,/l. l/.llll 1 .Illl'rlllrlllillllIHilillll 1.1

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Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

:UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED F. instintos NEWYORK, N. Y., Assrenon To NTERNATIONAL VivroronCOMPANY, or Yonx, n. Y., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

BODY MOTOR VEHICLES.

p Application filed May 19,

Conditions surrounding the use of motor propelled vehicles with respectto the comV fort of passengers and the mechanical strains involveddiffer from those of any other type of vehicle employed on roads orrails. Development in the automobile art ofvehicle structures has alwaysbeen premised on the provision of an inflexible chassis frame carryingan inflexible body. To attain this end the frame itself has beenstrongly re-enforced and the body design has involved the use of heavystiff materials of wood and metal. In so far as contemplated by bodydesigners flexibility in the true sense has been left out of accountsince a non-rigid body would `give i rise to cracking of paint,buckling, rattles and other noises. i The present invention approachesthev problem with two premises which are believed to be distinctivelynovel in the art, namely, a fiexible chassis :traine should beei'nployed and a flexible body structure should be 'mounted on thenon-rigidframe. In em bodying such characteristics in a przufticabledesign taking into account the comfort of the passengers the vehicle perse is viewed as a. means of transportation, the Weight of the passengerbeing carried immediately on the vehicle frame While the body coveringper se is viewed merely as an enclosure for the passenger to protect himfrom the weather. This covering7 in this aspect of design, is notapplied for mechanical purposes` in any sense and in fact is not adaptedto do any mechanical work. Accordingly, it is mounted inde pendent oftheseats, it is within itself nonrigid and has no structural relation tothe `ioor other than that the floor supports it. These points ofdemarcation are emphasized. at the outset so that it may be clearlyunderstood that the invention, while apparently of simple form in itsphysical. embodiment, rest-s for its novelty on basic distinctions fromany principle heretofore en'iployed. The physical materials used may bewell known but they are combined to create a vehicle having essen tiallydifferent characteristics from those now known andperforining each itsown intended function and no other. The result is comfort for thepassenger, freedom from stresses on parts and lightness in weight. Inthe preferred embodiment ofthe invention ilA lustrated in theaccompanying drawings the flexible frame carries suitable flooring onwhich the seats rest whereby when the frame fleXes the Hoor may conformand the seats 1924.` serial No. 714,252.

in which the passengers seat `follow theoretically the distortion of theflooring although naturally this is considerably reduced in itstransmission to the passenger. Over and about the passengers is provideda; covering to protect them from 'the weather, this covering being offlexible "material and supported by mechanical units which are soarranged as not to interfere with free flexing. `Other objects of theinvention incidental to the carrying out of the principal results soughtfor will appear as this description proceeds reference now `being had tothe accompanying drawings for a detailed description of one embodiment,wherein:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of a motor propelled bodyconstructed in accordd ance` with the invention.

gure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fragment of the body ofthebus shown in Figure l. u Figure 3 a view in transverse section throughsaid body. i

Figure 4; is a fragmentary view in horizon tal section therethrough. l

Figure 5 is a detailed view in elevation showing the door.

Figure 6 is a detailed view in cross section showing one means formounting the door wit-hout impairing the flexibility of the entireassembly. i l

"Ihe frame a of the improved vehicle may include longitudinallyextending channels which are tied together in such aimanneras to insurea non-rigid fiexible support for the vehicle body. This frame may bemounted on road wheels 7) tlnough springs c attached thereto by cushionconnections indicated at d. .Flexibility of the frame will be leastinterfered with bya flooring made up of cross planks laid thereon. Onthis flooring rest directly chairs f' for the passengers which may havevacuum rubber cup supports 7 anda seat portion f2 .suspended from thechair frame proper by elastic tension members As thus far described itwill be evident that the vehicle serves its intended function as a meansof transportation for passengers and that no attempt is made to restrainthe frame movements. To do so involves structural requirements ofstrength, weight and resenforcements. Practical requirements oftransportation, however, demand that the passengers should be protectedagainst the sun and Weather' and for that purpose some form ofenclosureemployed. Body builders heretofore have imposedon this enclosuremechanical .requirements to the end `that it .Y mightserve asare-enforcement for the frame and 'bersuiiicientlfy stout and durable toresist twisting stresses imposed thereon vby the frame. Having once setout to attain this end vthey have )constantly increased'the rigidity'Vand strengthso that the-leastamount .of noise and rattle would ensueduring use, the paint wouldnot crack and-the seats would be.suitably-supportedtherefrom and in some cases .serveas trusses tcontribute to the rigidity.

ln accordance with the present invention it .is proposed to encloseV theseats f with a flexiblebody whichk mighthest--be llikened to a canopy.Independent cross bows g whichare Vthemselves iiexibleand light aresupported from the floor -by any convenient means. Since' it isnotproposed to have .any parts .rigidly tied in with the floor these' bowsmay be conveniently mounted ion-rails It .disposed along the oppositesidel edges of the planks@v and kvbeembraced by .clamping pieces g `on li 1' ,the lower ends ofthe bows.- r;l`urn buckles z' onspacer rods z"may serveas -a convenient means-'of maintain-lng the bows in spacedrelationship commencing., for instance, from thev rearmost .bow whichitself may be secured against endwise movement on the rails by anyconvenient means such as pins g2 engaging with the rails, respectively.:Qn the outside of the bows may be I*stretched suitable flexible fabriccovering 7c which maybe of waterproof materia-l and vmay extend from onesideof the iooring up over the bows and Y down to the other end butanchored by the Ywhich may be free to` movewith respect to ,the adjacent4,bow vwhile guided thereby.

f Between this sheetlmetal plate and the fabric j may, i't desired..beinterposed ,somevstui-ng.

jSnch :a ysheet-nietal lining affords some se curity to y. thepassengers against blows or collisions but does not afoot the non-rigidcharacter of the canopy. 'i Between the bows` .at suitable points mayalso be incorporated windows m which themselves will preferably be offlexible matcrial'and maintained in place by stitching.l These windowsin the illustrated construction are disposed immediately above the sheetmetal plates between theibows. Adoorin the torni of a closure for anopening in the canopy through which passengers may have ready ingressand egress is indicated ,as a flexible member n set between any two ofthe bows g, usually at the torward en d of .the vehicle. This door mayhe built up :on a frame work such as is illustrated "in Figure `Gwherein .opposed channels n are enclosed by resilient flexible tubing nlwhich may be .of ruh'bcr around which the .same iexible fabric .as isused for the remainder l.of the body may be laced. The door as thusconstructed may have flexible transparent panes m stitched .therein andis altogether yielding .so as to impress no restraint on the canopycovering considered as a whole. Any suitable lili-ngc connection may beinterposed operatively between the door andtheadjacent bow g, the reeedge of the door being .adapted to :lorm a'tight cl f surc with theadjacentbow.

The description should make clear the means by wliicli'the essentialcharacteristics pointed out .attl-ie beginning of this speci-:'l'ication are nealized. The yclfain-i appended hereto contemplatesdepartinrcs in matters ol design and form. lVfhat' I claim i-s:

In :a self-:propelled vehicle, in combination with-supporting iioadwlieelsa relatively flexi-ble traine carried thereon, 'flooring carriedwith the frame, a plurality .of cross bows, a non-rigid connectionbet-weenthe .ends olf the bows and tlieloor, means to maintain said bowsin predetermined spaced relationship7 and Aa light lflexible coveringsecured over the bows, inflexible metal plates scoured along one .edgeto the iiespecti-vc bows and mounted back of the flexible covering, theother edges of said plates slicing free.

rlhis specification signed this iltth da)v oi May, A.' D. 1924.

ALFRED IF. MAsUnY.

